THEATER    |    ART    |    BLACK LIGHT    |    MUSIC    |    FUNK & MIME    |    CREATIVE WRITING   


FACULTY

The Multi-Arts faculty includes professional artists and teachers from the Pioneer Valley, New York and abroad. Leaders in visual arts, theater, dance, fashion, music, and film, these internationally renowned artists provide a unique multi-cultural experience. They also inspire children with their passion, enthusiasm, and humor.

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CATALINA ARRUBLA - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
Catalina is the founder and Executive Director of Multi-Arts. She was formerly the director of the publications department of the Ministry of Culture in Colombia, her native country.  Catalina is also a professional oboist and oboe teacher, and directs chamber music ensembles. 

​MAIA KINNEY-PETRUCHA – THEATER 
Maia is a children’s playwright and theater educator based in New York City and Amherst, Massachusetts. Her background in cognitive science drives her love for theatrical research, and for the power theater have to heal and foster empathy through storytelling. She believes that collaboration between young and adult artists is vital for inspiring new ideas. She is passionate about exploring how theater and in all art expressions can spark change. 
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​JOSH GOLD – HEAD TEACHER
BLACK LIGHT THEATER & DANCE & MIME 
​Josh is a lead counselor and teacher at Multi-Arts.  His specialties include hip hop funk dance, mime, blacklight (glow-in-the-dark) costumes and games, and multi-media arts and crafts.  Josh teaches during the school year at the Easthampton Elementary Schools for a 21st Century Community Learning Center program through the Collaborative for Educational Services.

​DARLA STABLER – FASHION & WRITING
Darla has been teaching with Multi-Arts since 2017. Her classes often focus on fashion and improv, and she also enjoys drawing, sculpture, and writing. Darla also works with children at Clinical & Support Options' Bridge Family Resource Center in Amherst, nannies toddlers, volunteers at a sleep-away camp for foster kids, and organizes with the Pioneer Valley Childcare Collective.

ALEJANDRA ROJAS – ART
Alejandra has been teaching art at Multi-Arts since 2019. Alejandra's extraordinary artistic skills has lead her to explore by her own her unique path into painting and drawing. She has taking art workshops since she was a little girl, following her natural love for all kind of arts during her studies at the Harts-brook School. Later on Alejandra took painting and drawing workshops at the Art Institute of Chicago  and at Amherst College. She is a prolific artist, and loves to teach art to children.

XINEF AFRIAM – HEAD TEACHER & THEATER 
Xinef Afriam is a lifelong theater maker. His first play WAS produced by Multi-Arts when he was 15 years old. Xinef has worked with Multi-Arts as a playwright/theater director, creative writing teacher, assistant musical director for plays, and head counselor, from 2013-2018. In the present, Xinef works as Education Coordinator with award winning regional theater Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA.

GABRIEL CIFUENTES – THEATER 
Gabriel CiFuentes is a Colombian theatre artist and educator in the Pioneer Valley. His artistic focus is on acting, directing, and sound designing. During the school year, he teaches English as a second language to students in the Easthampton school district. He believes that theatre and other artistic pursuits should be a vital component of children's education. He is dedicated to using his artistic experience to help others develop a healthy sense of self-esteem, perserverance, and critical thinking.

CULLEN BURLING – THEATER - Workshop III
Cullen is ecstatic to join Multi-Arts for his first summer! An advocate for creative and collaborative storytelling, Cullen has been teaching theater for seven years. He holds an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College and a BA in Theater Studies from Duke University. He has also studied physical theater and devising at the Pig Iron School. During the school year, Cullen is a theater teacher at PVPA.

IRIS BERKMAN – DANCE
Iris Berkman  learned movement growing up in Israel, and danced professionally, before moving to New York City to further pursue dance and education. She has taught children in many capacities, including as a preschool teacher, but her greatest joy has been teaching creative and modern dance.  She ran her own studios in Amherst, Dance with Iris, and then The Valley Dance Project, for over 20 years.  She looks forward to exploring the joy of dance with Multi-Arts. 

MADELEINE NEIMAN –
​ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR
Maddie is a senior at Indiana University, pursuing a degree in Arts Management with minors in Studio Art and Urban Development.  She currently works as an ESL tutor, using art and play to communicate with her students. Her involvement with Multi-Arts started over a decade ago as a camper, and today Madeleine works assisting the Director in several administrative tasks.

SARA HOLMES – MUSIC & MOVEMENT
​& COUNSELOR 
Sara is a musician, actor and yoga teacher. She has extensive teaching experience with all ages and abilities. She believes that the arts provides a safe space for self discovery and expression. This fall, Sara will begin her MM in vocal performance at UMASS Amherst.

​HENRY FLOQUET – THEATER INTERN
& DIRECTOR ASSISTANT
Henry grew up in Amherst, MA. He goes  to school in Pennsylvania. He has been doing theatre since he was nine years old. Some of his favorite shows are, "Come From Away" and "Hadestown."

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​WHAT PARENTS SAY

"The talent, dedication, and enthusiasm of the Multi-Arts executive director and her staff are extraordinary. The group is constantly striving to provide children in the community with new and varied creative workshops and the staff is willing to work with very tightly controlled budgets to try to grow their programs."